1. Field:
The present disclosure relates generally to equipment and, in particular, to packaging equipment. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing equipment in different locations in an aircraft.
2. Background:
An equipment bay may be an area within an aircraft in which equipment, such as, for example, without limitation, electrical equipment, power distribution equipment, computers, and other suitable components may be installed. The equipment bay may take the form of an avionics bay or electronics equipment bay.
The equipment bay may be located, without limitation, below the flight deck, behind the flight deck, and/or adjacent to a passenger or cargo area inside of an aircraft. Equipment stored in an equipment bay may be accessible through a passenger area, a cargo area, a hatch in the flight deck area, and/or an external hatch on an aircraft.
Equipment in the electronic equipment bay may be placed in equipment racks located in the electronic equipment bay. One or more aisles may be provided between the equipment racks in the electronic equipment bay to permit maintenance personnel and other technicians to move throughout the electronic equipment bay and between the equipment racks and access the electronic equipment.
For example, without limitation, equipment racks in the equipment bay may be placed with the front of the racks facing a central aisle. The central aisle may extend between the equipment racks. This central aisle may be used by maintenance personnel to access the equipment in the equipment racks. In-flight personnel may utilize one or more hatches in the flight deck or cabin areas to gain access to the equipment in the equipment bay during a flight of the aircraft.
In addition, one or more outboard aisles may connect the central aisle to an external hatch. This hatch may provide a point of access to the equipment bay for ground crew personnel. The ground crew personnel may utilize the external hatch to enter the electronic bay and proceed down the aisles to access the equipment in the equipment racks. The ground crew may access the equipment to perform installation, removal, and/or maintenance of the equipment.
Space in the aircraft may be a valuable resource. In designing aircraft, space may be allocated to passenger areas, crew areas, cargo areas, and equipment bays. Currently used equipment bays in aircraft may use more space in the aircraft than desired. In other words, spaces, such as equipment bays, may be reduced to allow for increases in spaces, such as passenger areas and/or cargo areas.
When equipment bays are designed with less space, access to the equipment bays through aisles may be reduced. This reduction may result in more time and effort needed for equipment maintenance. Further, equipment maintenance may also take more time and effort in a presence of varying sizes and depths of the individual electronic components stored in the equipment bays.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.